Redeeming Sunday

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Saturday night at Hard Rock Cafe was okay. The 'Me too' attitude of the place and the sorry service was a downer (apparently having tattoos and sporting a ponytail is a waiter's license to be rude to patrons) as was Indian Ocean. But the club has superb location. It is beyond Koregaon Park and ABC farms. So, the route involves going past pretty little places decked up like tertiary fireflies. Also setting the mood are the cold, crisp Pune nights. Walking really is invigorating and my friends and I had a lovely moon to keep us company!

Sunday, though, I thought I'd stay clear of venturing into any new territory and just stick to spots I knew well. So, in my head, the day would involve being parked at Soharb Hall. I'd spend a solid hour at a cute, quirky store 'Either-Or'. (It has some pretty dresses in batik prints and cowl necks - very hippie-sipping-champagne type of stylish!) Then I'd go to Crossword and spend a few hours there. Yes. Sohrab hall, it would be. I made up my mind.

Now, in my case, making up the mind involves changing it swiftly. So, a friend called and I gave up my allegiance to familiarity. We tried out this restaurant 'Rasoi' at Shaniwar Peth. We had the thali there and it was awesome! It's Maharashtrian cuisine .A colleague had told me that this place employs cooks from families that actually fed the Peshwas in Pune. And what can I say? The lineage spoke on the plate and how! I don't usually like rotis and I had 4. I don't fancy puris and I had 2. I'm not a dahi wada fan and I had plenty.

There's this green sabzi - it's made with white lentils, spinach, and sweetened with jaggery and roasted coconut. When you eat that, it's a cue for angels to start singing. There were lots of different kinds of pulses and legumes and a tasty dish of bhindi. The gulab jamuns were strictly okay but some people had ordered rasmalai that they thoroughly enjoyed.

And service...that is truly what wins your heart over. Efficient, simple, and polite.

Rasoi got me thinking. Maybe history could have played out differently if Shivaji had made different choices. Maybe he needn't have fought the Mughals. Maybe he could've gotten them to eat the green sabzi and asked them to leave.

Who could say no?


Comments

Vinita said…
Wow! I'll recommend this one to my sis if she hasnt been here yet. Have you checked out Kelkar museum? I loved Mastani's boudoir! I miss the book browsing at Crossword - since the public library has everything I need (so far) havent bought anything so far - other than Julie and Julia and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People at a used books sale.
5:29 AM
crab said…
And speaking of recommendations, have heard a lot about this place >> http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263009
Maybe you could check it out sometime, if you haven't already! :)
7:26 PM
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